Project Justice: Aftermath
by rainbow-flyer
Summary: After the events of Project Justice, the students move on with their lives. Still, something stirs in the shadows. What danger awaits them now? *CHAPTER 11 UPLOADED* Read and Review, please!
1. Rise from The Ashes

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and possibly UDON studios. **

**Chapter I: Rise from the Ashes**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke sat at the table and poured himself some orange juice. Everyone fell silent. For the better part of the year, Kyosuke had sunk into a deep depression. Everyone had nearly gotten accustomed to it. Now, he appeared at the table as if nothing was wrong.

"Please stop acting like I'm a ghost." He took a swig from his cup.

They were all at a loss for words. Kyosuke gave a frustrated sigh. Just then, Ayane barged in.

"Mornin', just seeing if you were ready to go..." Her word trailed off at the sight of Kyosuke. A large grin spread on her face. "Kyosuke-kun!"

Ayane was a distant cousin of the Imawano-ryu. Raizo had inherited custody of her when her parents passed away. When the first wave of trouble started, she was sent away to Seiyuun Jyuugakuen to keep out trouble. She was a short, muscular girl with gold-colored eyes and dark hair she kept tied in a single braid. She also liked to keep her skin tanned like most troublemakers.

"Back from the dead, huh?" Ayane ruffled his hair. "That's good! I was almost worried that I'd never get to see you outside your room!"

Ayane's jovial attitude served to break the silence. Everyone relaxed and a normal conversation started up about today's events.

"So today is Fugashokimaya University's spotlight day," she explained. "Most of us are going to attend it because it's close to home."

"Who is 'most of us'?" Kyosuke asked.

"Hinata-chan, Aya-kun, and me for starters." Batsu chewed on a lump of food while ticking off their names in the air with his chopsticks.

"I would like to go...if I could even get into college." Sullen, he toyed with his food.

"You could take correspondence courses." Batsu offered. "They usually have that sort of thing...I dunno..." He buried himself in his food.

"That's a good idea." Shizuru seemed to agree. "Right, dear."

"Sure." Raizo took a sip of his tea. "If Kyosuke thinks he's ready. Do you think you're ready, Kyosuke?"

Kyosuke smiled. "I think I can handle it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hinata's sister, Asaka, was a junior at this university. She gladly volunteered to be both chaffer and tour guide for the potential classmates. Having both her and Hinata around was physically taxing. They both had so much energy that just listening to them talk was draining.

Kyosuke broke off from the group and headed to the admissions office. He had missed so much school that he wasn't even sure if he could attend college. Fortunately, he snagged an appointment with a guidance counselor fairly early. Hopefully there was a chance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Kagami Kyosuke." The older woman rustled papers. "I remember that you applied earlier this year. You were doing so well..." Her eyes moved over the young man's file. Kyosuke shifted in his seat.

"I understand that you experienced a loss in the family. Your time off was legitimate. I can't make it so that you are immediately accepted but you can take correspondence courses." The counselor folded her fingers together and flexed them. "If you score well enough, then you will be accepted in as a full student."

"I understand." Kyosuke nodded. "Thank you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A girl stood in front of the railing. At first, Kyosuke thought nothing of it. Then she climbed over the railing and stood on the other side of it. She readied herself, preparing to push off the edge. The redhead jumped up and ran after her.

He managed to grab her just as she let go. Her footing slipped and he increased his grip. Kyosuke stepped back, pulling her up with him. She thrashed about, screaming and clawing at him. Despite this, he managed to pull her onto the sidewalk where he promptly received an elbow to the gut. His grip loosened. The girl slipped away while Kyosuke doubled over in pain.

"What the hell?" He growled. He almost hoped that the girl went on ahead and jumped at this point.

"You..." The girl sounded surprised.

He stood up. He was about to say something else but stopped. He knew this girl. He could tell exactly who she was from her ornate curls.

"Kirishima...Yurika....?" He was fuzzy on names beyond his close circle of friends and family.

"So you've returned." Yurika stepped back, putting a hand on her chest. "You've come to finish me off?!"

"No! No, that's not it at all!" Kyosuke waved his hands in protest. "I saw you jumping and I thought it was a good idea to save you...starting to doubt it though-"

Yurika swung her bow at him. Kyosuke jumped back, barely dodging in. Confused, he looked her over. Did she have that violin the whole time?

"Why else would you save me..." She sneered. "...if not to finish me off yourself!"

She readied her violin to play. Kyosuke swore and backpedaled just at the column of note rose up from the ground. He raised his arm and summoned a wave of energy that headed towards the girl. He ran after it. Yurika blocked and the wave dissolved. Before she could recover, Kyosuke grabbed both of her hands and pulled them apart. Her wide eyes were filled with fear.

"I'm going to let you go." Kyosuke stated. "I'm not going to attack you and you're not going to attack me, okay?"

Yurika turned away from him. He leaned in closer. "Okay?"

"Okay." She muttered.

His grip loosened and she jerked her hands away from him. She rubbed her wrists while Kyosuke smoothed out his pants. He glanced at his watch.

"Listen, I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you so angry...but I have somewhere to be."

Yurika said nothing. She continued to look at her wrists. Deep down, the redhead was hoping that he didn't bruise her. She looked delicate enough to bruise easily. He wanted to ask but felt that his inquiry would only make things worse. With that, he walked off.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As he drew closer, Kyosuke could see Batsu, Hinata, and Ayane with a few other familiar faces in tow. Apparently, they had run into Ran and Iincyo. Both of them were equally surprised to see Kyosuke out at about. Ran assaulted him with a barrage of superficial questions while Iincyo only gave a quiet welcome.

"I mean, it's really great to see you, Kyosuke-san!" Ran beamed. "We have to sit down and do a full one-on-one interview—I can see it now: Taiyo's Seventh Wonder Returns! It'll be my last big scoop before heading to college!"

"Speaking of which," said Hinata. "How did it go over at admissions?"

"Technically, I'm in." He muttered. "I'm pretty sure I'll do well in the classes, though I'll be behind all of you."

"That's wonderful!" Hinata wrapped her arms around him. "You'll still be going to school with us!"

"G-great." Kyosuke winced. "Hinata...you're hurting me..."

"Sorry." She let him go. "I just get so excited! It's great to have you back, Kyosuke-kun!"

"Yeah," Batsu put an arm around Hinata. "We're here for you if you need us, okay?"

"Thanks." Kyosuke slipped his hands into his pockets. "I appreciate it."

They all piled back into Asaka's car and headed home. He decided to keep quiet about the incident between him and Yurika. That would probably serve to alarm the others and he was sure that he handled it well. He mulled over Yurika's response in the back of his mind. She _was _Kurow's sister. Perhaps she felt guilty about the whole incident...maybe she blamed herself for...

A lump rose in his throat. He didn't want to think about this anymore.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Notes: **Well, this was actually a revamp of an older fanfic I had. Since then, I've gotten sweet writing sk1llz so I decided to flex my muscles and give this another try. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it. I'll try and keep my O/Cs in check. :D


	2. Walking Away

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and possibly UDON. **

**Chapter II: Walking Away**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kurow lay in the hospital bed. One of his eyes was bandaged and his arm was in a sling. He seemed to be asleep. Yurika sat beside him and peeled an apple. Kurow woke and watched the girl as she struggled with the fruit.

"I didn't take you for the superstitious type."

"Anything to pass the time." Yurika put the apple on the nightstand. "The doctors say that you might be getting out soon."

"Might." He chuckled. "What a useless word."

Yurika clenched her jaw. Kurow's bitterness stemmed from his defeat at the hands of Mugen. In face, she heard that the man had taught Kurow the very technique that he used against him that fateful night.

"I'm lucky I'm alive." He leaned back in the pillow. "Now, maybe the vultures will kill me...nah, I'm too pitiful for them to pick me off."

"I ran into the younger Imawano today-"

"Did he hurt you?!" Kurow grabbed the rail on the bed and pulled himself up. "What did he do?"

"Nothing..." Her face grew hot with embarrassment. "I fell and he helped me up."

Kurow could tell that his sister was lying. Her voice always sounded terribly clumsy. He eyed her with suspicion.

"Really!" Yurika became defensive. "That's all that happened. He didn't even mention his brother. Why should you care? I thought you hated me."

"I do but you're _my _sister." Kurow grumbled. "I have to do something..."

"You don't have to do nothing." Yurika stood up. "I won't be a burden to you anymore, Kurow."

His eyes followed her as she walked to the door. Without another word, she left the room and quietly shut the door behind her. Kurow put his hand on his face and grinned.

"I don't think she's coming back." He forced a throaty laugh. "That's fine! She was annoying anyway..."

His arm flopped down to his side. His grin faded while he stared at the door.

"She'll be back tomorrow..." He reassured himself. "...Yurika always comes back..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika had agreed to meet her classmates, Akira and Zaki, after Horticulture. It was the one class Yurika didn't have with them. She approached the door and paused. It sounded as if the two were in the middle of a serious conversation.

"...I dunno," Akira sounded unsure. "We'd make things worse if we just outright said it."

"Someone saw her on a fucking bridge!" Zaki was nearly shouting. "What the hell do you think she was doing, sightseeing."

"She has been a little distant but I figured it's because her brother was in the hospital. If it were me, I'd probably be pretty withdrawn too."

"I know the signs." Zaki said darkly. "She's pretty textbook."

Yurika couldn't stand lingering any longer and twisted the knob. She pushed the door open and walked in. Both girls exchanged uncomfortable glances before greeting Yurika.

"How's ol' claw-boy doin'?" Zaki asked.

"He seems fine." Yurika placed her violin case on the empty desk in front of her. "That's good because this will be the last time I visit him."

"Is he getting out?" Akira sounded hopeful.

"No." The girl flipped the locks up. "He is sick of me."

"Forget that dick-weed." Zaki waved a dismissive hand. "When we graduate, this will all be behind us."

"Have you applied to any colleges?" Akira seemed thankful that the subject was changing.

"I don't have any plans." She forced the clasps down to secure the instrument. "I never really considered the future."

She had wanted to tune her violin but she didn't really feel like being around her friends. It bothered her a little that they considered her suicidal. It bothered her even more that their concerns were right.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kurow fell into a restless sleep. He had never been nice to Yurika but as of late he found himself being a little more than cruel to his big sister. At first, it was merely to vent his frustrations over all of his recent failures but soon he only mistreated her because she was there.

She was the only one who was there. At first, Momo visited with her regularly but soon she lost interest. Yurika would come to his side religiously. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was already missing her.

The click of his door cause his eyes to fling open.

"Yurika?" He sat up and looked around in the dark. All he could see were indistinct shadows.

"Wrong!" An unfamiliar voice chirped. "You've been a bad boy, Kurow-kun. You need to be punished."

From the shuffling, he could tell there were at least four opponents in the room. A challenge if he were healthy. Injured, it was impossible. His attackers surrounded him. Kurow desperately tried to peer into the darkness and make out something more than a blob.

A metallic gleam caught his attention. He rolled out of bed. Though he averted most of the blade, he had gotten a nasty cut in his side. He grabbed the I.V. Tower and swung it around. He was sure he wouldn't hit anyone but he would get some space.

He staggered back. He knew he was bleeding. The draining sensation was all to familiar. He didn't even have the energy to gloat. His vision faded in and out of focus. He tried to regain his posture and fall into a stance but that only served to make him lose his footing. Kurow slipped and fell back into the window. His back hit the glass and the surface cracked underneath his weight. The man toppled out.

He was sure that he could see his attackers watching him fall. Much to his surprise, he hit water. Pain shot through his body. He floated for a moment and then slipped under the surface. Everything was immediately swallowed up in darkness...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika walked down the hall of the hospital. She knew that she was going back on her word but Kurow was all that she really had. The thought of cutting him off made her sad.

"Miss Kirishima?" The receptionist called to her.

"Yes?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika tucked the violin under her chin. She focused all of her energy and directed it towards the instrument. She lifted up her bow and began to play a melancholy tune.

Kurow was missing. His room was trashed and the man was nowhere to be found...but there was a trail of blood that lead to a broken window that fell into the local river. After the news, she had decided to wander to the park. At least she could share her pain with others here. She fell into the music and attempted to shut out her sorrow. She knew it was futile but this was the only thing that wouldn't keep her from leaping off a bridge...not again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"We keep running into each other." Yurika looked up to see Kyosuke standing in front of her. He was clad in jeans, a scarf, and a green jacket. "Must be fate."

"It must be." She headed to a bench and gestured to him. "Please, sit. I need to talk to you."

Kyosuke followed, sitting close by her side.

"What's the matter? Kyosuke grew concerned.

Yurika reached in her bag. She fished out her paring knife and presented it to Kyosuke.

"Kill me." She ordered. "It's only fair."

"It's not fair-"

"Your brother is dead because I did nothing until it was too late." She snapped. "I have as much blood on my hands as anyone involved. Take your revenge. I won't even fight."

"I see." Kyosuke took the knife out of her hands and inspected it. He then tossed it into the fountain. "You may think you're expendable but I see differently. I'm not going to kill you because I think it's wrong. Killing you won't change the past."

"Oh." Yurika breathed disappointed.

"Why do you want to die so badly anyway? Is life that bad for you now?"

Tears wallowed up in Yurika's eyes. She put her hand over her face and quietly wept.

"I'm sorry." Kyosuke put an arm around her. "Is there anything--"

"Kurow is gone!" She wailed. "There was blood and his room was trashed! He's gone!"

She buried herself in his chest and continued to wail. Kyosuke began to rub her shoulders.

"It's alright." He attempted to soothe her. "Things will be alright."

"I should have been there!" She blubbered. "I-I shouldn't have gotten mad."

"I think Kurow is happy you weren't there." He assured her. "Even he wants his sister to be safe."

"B-but I'm his sister! I should protect him! What kind of sister am I if..." She could see that Kyosuke was wincing. "...I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He turned from her wiping the tears away. "My glasses just got foggy."

He pulled her closer. Yurika took the invitation and leaned into him, crying even harder.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sun began to dip behind the horizon. The scenery made Kyosuke nostalgic. His thoughts shifted to happier days. He and Hyo would play catch by the riverside around this time of day when they were little. He sighed and looked down at Yurika.

The girl had exhausted herself. She had curled up and fallen asleep, using Kyosuke's arm as a pillow. He had draped his jacket over her. She instinctively pulled it tighter around her body to warm up. She looked peaceful but it was getting late.

"Yurika." Kyosuke gently shook her. "Yurika."

"Wha..." She opened her eyes. Yurika then jolted awake. "I fell asleep?!"

"Happens to me all the time." Kyosuke shrugged. "All that crying must have tired you out."

"Here." She pulled his jacket off of her and handed it to him. "Thank you, Kagami-san."

"No problem." He took it and got to his feet. "You can call me Kyosuke."

"Alright...Kyosuke." She wrapped her arms around her middle. "I am having a recital tomorrow night. Would you like to come?"

"Yeah...sure..." The sudden invite threw him for a loop. "If you wouldn't mind me there..."

Yurika remained quiet. She started to walk off. Kyosuke decided it was best to let her go. If there was something that baffled him, it was women—especially women like Yurika. He shook his head and continued home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note:** In Japan, it's a superstition that if you peel an apple while waiting at the bedside of a patient that it will serve to aid in recovery. Also probably a good way to get a snack and kill time.


	3. Back From The Dead

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and possibly UDON. **

**Chapter III: Back From The Dead**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hyo bolted upright. His eyes darted around wildly in an attempt to process his unfamiliar settings. Warm arms embraced him, causing Hyo to jump.

"There, there." A gentle voice soothed. "It's alright."

His panic eased. The voice sounded friendly, familiar. He looked over his shoulder to see who the arms were attached to.

She was a willowy woman with piercing violet eyes and her bleached hair was tied up in a messy bun. She was clad in a light, summer kimono that hung off her slender form. She gave him a sweet smile.

"Welcome back, Hyo-dono." She greeted.

All of Hyo's energy quickly drained and he flopped back into the woman's body. Abruptly, he slipped into a deep sleep...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The young man woke up alone. The sheets clung to him from perspiration. He pulled them off and got up from the futon. The woman from before walked past the door. He peeked out. She was dressed in a different kimono this time. Her gait was slow and practiced. Hyo continued to watch her until she disappeared around a corner. Unsure of what to say, he decided to follow her around until he could think of a way to word his questions.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The days rolled by and little by little, Hyo began to remember the place he had woke up in. From what he could piece together, this was his old home and the original Imawano-ryu complex. The place had deteriorated over the years. It surprised Hyo that anyone could live her, let alone a person like Michiko. She looked like she took good care of herself despite the state of the place. Half the time, Hyo wondered if she was some sort of ghost—he quickly dismissed such thoughts. Eventually, he accepted following the woman around as a way to pass time.

"You have questions." Michiko had stopped at the end of the hallway.

"Who are you?" Hyo asked. "I feel like I know you but I can't remember your name at all."

"My name is Sagawa Michiko. I am a loyal servant to the Imawano-ryu." She looked back at him. "After your mother passed, your father assigned me to look after you until you were sent away."

"I see." He searched for words. "Michiko, did I die?"

"Yes." She said flatly.

"Am I in...heaven?" He was hesitant to ask. Michiko gave a slow shake of her head. Fear crept up in him. "Am I in hell?"

"No. You're alive." The confused look on Hyo's face caused the woman to continue. "I collected your body right after the fire in the Justice Library. I immediately administered the technique to revive you and took you back to the compound."

"Technique?" Now he was curious.

"Ki no Kokoro to Fukkoku. I gave a chunk of my aura to revive you. It was a technique that the High Master taught me."

"My father." He said bitterly.

"Yes." Michiko lowered her head slightly. "But I failed with him. You were my first success."

"How long have I been gone?" What he really wanted to ask was how long he had been dead but things were complicated enough as it was.

"Six months and three days." Michiko turned around. "I collected your body as soon as the others had left and started the procedure immediately."

Hyo marched past her, proceeding down the hall. Alarmed, Michiko sprang after him.

"Where-"

"I have to go back." Hyo peered into rooms that he passed, searching for his sword. "It's not fair to Kyosuke."

"You shouldn't throw yourself back into the same settings that killed you!" Michiko snapped. "It's suicide."

"I'm not going back for Project Justice." He picked up his sword and pulled it out of it's sheath. "I'm going back for my brother."

Michiko fell silent. She lingered in the doorway for a moment before turning to leave.

"Michiko," Hyo put the sword back in it's casing. "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure my uncle will find a place for you."

"I...I don't know how..." She averted her gaze.

"Don't know how to what?" Hyo frowned.

"I don't know how to leave this place." She sighed. "I've grown up here. I promised that I would take care of the compound..."

They both stood there with a strange tension pulling on the air.

"I'm going and you are coming with me." Hyo approached her. "This place is unfit for anyone to stay. It wouldn't be fair if I just left you here..."

"What are you..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"No! No! No! Put me down!" Michiko pounded on Hyo's back. He had slung her over his shoulder and tucked his sword under his other arm. Michiko's half-hearted struggle was ignored. When they passed through the main gate, she calmed down.

"Put me down." She ordered. Without a word, Hyo did so. She looked up at the compound with a longing expression. "There is a bus stop up the road from here. That should get us started."

"Good." Hyo took her hand. "Let's go."

Hesitant, she nodded.

"Alright..." He pulled her along, making his way to the main road. "I'm coming, Kyosuke..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note(s): **If you haven't noticed, Michiko calls him "Hyo-dono". "-dono" is a Japanese honorific that means "lord" or "master". So she's calling him "Master Hyo". This is something lower ninjas called their superiors in the olden days of the Imawano clan. Guess she's old school, huh? ~_^


	4. The Recital

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and probably UDON.**

**Chapter IV: The Recital**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

6:29 pm. Yurika stared up at the clock. The thin hand of the large clock backstage gave heavy ominous ticks. She watched as another minute brought her closer to her recital. Nothing more than a short, simple affair with her and a few other students playing chamber music for the better part of the evening. She turned towards the stage.

The took a peek from the small parting between the curtains. The crowded auditorium buzzed with static. She tried to pick out people she knew from the sea of faces. Some of those people were her friends. A pained smile crossed her face.

"Are they my friends..." She wondered. "...or are they just saying that?"

"Kirishima-san?" A warm hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up into the face of another student. She immediately recognized her as Sizune Kujou of Taiyo High. "Are you alright?"

Yurika looked up at her and turned away, giving a feeble nod. Sizune and Yurika had always been considered rivals, though neither one of them was the type to seek competition. They didn't even play the same instrument but it was all the same to those who were not musically savvy.

"I'm fine." She muttered. Yurika then busied herself with the strings of her violin.

"Ah, you just looked like you were in pain." The other girl pulled away with a relieved sigh. "I was afraid that you had stopped liking your music."

"Of course not." Yurika hugged the violin with a tender embrace. "I could never abandon my music."

"Neither could I." Sizune interlocked her thin fingers together. The girl fine pianist. Suddenly, the girl yawned. Yurika chuckled.

"I'm sorry." Sizune blushed. "I get tired easily sometimes."

"That's fine." Yurika stood up. "I think it's time."

Sizune blinked and nodded. With that, they both headed out onto the stage.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke slipped in his seat and leaned back. His thoughts drifted back to Yurika. He had pulled her off the bridge and she took it as a sign that he wanted to finish her off personally. Hopefully, he could meet up with her afterwards to sort things out.

The lights dimmed. The applause turned Kyosuke's attention to the stage...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the dim light, the musicians took their seats. One of the stagehands dished out sheet music and they quickly went about to ready themselves. The curtains swept open. Yurika felt a wave of heat wash over her followed by cold silence. She looked past the conductor into the crowd. Her eyes skimmed over them when a familiar form caught her attention.

"Kurow..." She whispered. The conductor tapped his wand and her attention shifted for a moment. When she returned her eyes to that spot again, nothing was there. Her heart sank. She took a deep breath to steady herself and straightened her posture.

Yurika threw herself into auto-pilot. Most of the performance was tuned out. She could feel the vibrations and kept in tune with the others. For the rest of the night, she felt as if she was locked out of everything and looking in. The roar of applause snapped her out of her haze. She stood with the others and took a graceful bow.

"That was nice, right Kirishima-san?" Sizune had stopped bowing and clapped with the audience. Much to her suprise, Yurika hurried off the stage. "Kirishima-san?!"

Yurika grabbed her things and shoved them into the bag with unnecessary force. Sizune's steps drew closer. She knew that the girl had chased after her. Her vision was hazy with hot tears. She couldn't take this. Kurow was out there somewhere and she carried on like it was nothing important.

"Kirishima-san, where are you going?" Sizune sounded frightened. Yurika stopped at the door and wiped her tears.

"I just remembered I has something to do." She shot her an artificial smile. "Have a good evening, Sizune-san."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika headed out and lurked about the grounds until everyone had gone. When she was sure that the last of the stragglers had cleared she slipped inside. She stepped between the rows of empty seat until she found one that looked nice. She stepped around and plopped down in it. She then leaned down and put her head in her hands.

"You seem stressed." She grew alarmed at the male voice. She turned to see Kyosuke standing at one of the exits. He began to descend the stairs. As he drew closer, she could see that he had a bouquet of irises tucked under his arm. She clutched the seat in terror.

The redhead stood at the end of the aisle. His smile melted into annoyance.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just..." He pulled the flowers up in front of him as a strange shield. "...I wanted to give these to you but I didn't want to a make a scene. Please don't ask me to kill you."

"What kind of thing is that to say to a person?" Yurika frowned. Her fear was quickly replaced with anger. "You think pretty high of yourself if you expect that sort of thing to happen more than once!"

She stormed up and took the flowers from him.

"I only expect it from you." He shrugged. "I don't know what to expect. One minute your all submissive and sad, then the next you're all confrontational and out for blood. You're a real..." His words dropped off. Yurika gazed at the flowers in her arms. She wasn't smiling but the look on her face was completely serene. She gently touched some of the petals with a sense of wonder.

"Was this really for me?" Her quiet voice echoed.

Kyosuke nodded.

Yurika looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, Kagami-san."

They both stood there, unsure of what to say.

"Well," Kyosuke broke the silence. "I'll be going now."

"Good night, Kagami-san." Yurika gave a small curtsy. The two then went their separate ways. Kyosuke paused at the exit and turned to see Yurika looking up at him. Yurika could tell by his steps that something was heavy on his mind. She remained in her spot, watching him.

Kyosuke looked at the door and then back at the girl, debating to leave. He then smirked and turned away from the exit to make his way to Yurika. He almost ran to her, his pace startling Yurika. He paused in front of her.

"I don't want to hurt you at all. I don't blame you for anything that happened—in fact—I kinda like you. You seem very nice and you're kinda dealing with this, like me..." The sincerity of his words made his head hurt. This was the very reason why he didn't like saying what he felt.

"I...I..." Yurika struggled to find words. Her heart pounded in her head with enough force to make her swoon. His thoughts mirrored her own. He was someone who shared her pain. Kyosuke knew the cross she had to bear. She looked at him with wonder. "What do you want from me?"

"I guess I would like to be friends." Kyosuke gave a sheepish grin. "Can we be friends?

"Sure." Yurika smiled. "That would work."

Kyosuke glanced at his watch. "It's kinda late. Can I walk you to your dorm?"

"Yeah..." She walked up to join him. He offered her his arm. She wrapped her arms around his, flushing a little.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	5. Suspended Emotions

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and probably UDON.**

**Chapter V: Suspended Emotions**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a quiet walk. Both Kyosuke and Yurika refused to say anything for fear that it might break the peace. Eventually, they came across a massive lake.

"So..." Kyosuke forced himself to talk. "Do you live around here?"

"I live over there." She pointed to the large building situated on top of an island in the middle of the vast body of water.

"I see." He raised his arm so that Yurika could slip free. "So I suppose this is where we part."

"I suppose so." Yurika hugged the bouquet to her chest. "Thank you for the flowers."

"No problem. I grow them myself." Unsure of what to do with his hands, he put them in his pockets. A floodlight came on. Kyosuke winced.

"That's the ferry." Yurika explained. "You know, we should meet up more often."

"Yeah," Kyosuke agreed. "Beats the hell out of therapy."

They both shared a quick laugh before the woman turned away and ran to the dock. Kyosuke continued to watch her as she boarded the ferry.

"Goodnight, Kyosuke-san!" She waved to him.

"Goodnight, Yurika-san!" Kyosuke waved back. He remained at the shore until she was out of sight. Then he started the walk home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The bus ride was a quiet one. The vehicle was so crowded that Michiko and Hyo could only sit from across from each other. The woman stood out among the passengers. Her kimono was simple but brightly colored. Someone who dressed so old fashioned would stick out like a sore thumb. Hyo looked down at his clothes. His attire was composed of a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. In the back of his mind, he was more than thankful for the subtle clothing. The less attention on him, the better.

Hyo stood up. "Michiko-sama, we're almost here."

The woman pushed herself off her seat. The bus slowed to a halt. The two quickly made their exit.

"Where are we going?" Michiko looked around. The bus pulled off, leaving them in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.

"To the mansion." Hyo hopped off the road and into the thick woods. "Kyosuke resides there."

The woman's face lit up in realization. "I remember this place now! Your mother stayed her when she was recovering from the birth. After that, your father would go there to finalize his plans..."

"He would." Hyo grumbled.

Michiko hurried after him. "Don't be angry at your father. Imawano-dono's actions were terrible but he had good intentions..."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." The man's voice was rife with bitterness.

The woman said something in turn but her voice was so quiet that it was inaudible. His knock drowned out Michiko's comment.

The door flew open.

"How may I help..." Shizuru's eyes grew wide. "...you."

Raizo walked up behind her. He put his large hands on her shoulders.

His gaze shifted from Hyo to the woman behind him. "Shizuru, please make some tea."

"Yes, dear." The woman hurried out of sight.

With a clawed hand, he gestured them in. "Well come in. You surely didn't come all this way to stand outside."

Hyo looked back at Michiko. The woman's face was twisted up in a sneer that made her skin look leathery and inhuman. In an instant, her skin smoothed and she returned to looking normal. The young man figured that Michiko's reaction was to his uncle but decided not to pry. They both walked inside, the door closing behind them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Walking up the path, Kyosuke could see that the lights were on in the house. Just as he approached the door, he slowed to a halt. The door was slightly ajar. Tense, the man grabbed the doorknob and carefully pushed the door open so that it wouldn't squeak. He closed the door with the same amount of caution.

Voices drifted down the hall. The redhead crept closer, stopping at the entrance to the living room to listen to the conversation.

"...Mugen's executioner has no place here." Shizuru's voice was tense with fear.

"She has as much a place as any." Raizo's voice contended. "We will find out if this is a puppet and that will determine our path of action."

"I have just as much a place here as either one of you." A cool voice interjected. Kyosuke struggled to place it. "In fact, more so than either one of you. Traitors of Mugen should not sleep in his house."

"Michiko." The next voice sent a chill down his spine. It sounded so familiar. Kyosuke frowned. What kind of trick was this?

He succumbed to his own curiosity and stormed into the living room. Something was amiss and he had to get to the bottom of it. He managed to get past the threshold and stopped. Standing there, was the dead man in question, his brother, Hyo Imawano...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An eternity of silence passed. Kyosuke was frozen to the spot. Everyone in the room seemed to be at a loss for words.

Finally, Kyosuke spoke. "...Nii-san...?"

Hyo's face melted into a smile. "Kyosuke..."

The redhead's jaw clenched. "What are you?"

Hyo blinked. "I-I'm your brother."

Kyosuke took a step back. "My brother is dead."

The man turned on his heels and bolted out of the room. Hyo averted his gaze. Michiko stood up, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright." She assured him. "He will come around--"

"He will come around to nothing!" Raizo bellowed. "Until we can prove that he is not your puppet, he is not allowed to be near Kyosuke!"

"Run all the tests you want then." She spat.

Hyo fought the urge to squirm. His family talked about him like he was an object. His brother acted as if he were some sort of monster...Perhaps he was better off dead after all.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke sat on the roof while looking up at the sky. The night was nearly cloudless so he could see all of the stars. It was almost soothing. The creak of the shingles made him aware that he was not alone. He looked over his shoulder to see Hyo climbing up from the window. He twisted his body, prepared to make a quick exit.

"Don't leave." He pleaded. "At least let me explain myself."

Sighing, Kyosuke rolled over. Hyo took a seat beside him but far enough away to keep his brother comfortable.

"I got tired of them arguing about whether or not my will was my own." He explained. "I figured you would be up here."

"Are you still you?" He asked.

"For the most part." Hyo shifted to a more comfortable sitting position. "I feel a little different but I figure that dying does that to you."

Kyosuke chuckled. "You just couldn't leave Project Justice be, could you?"

"I didn't come back for Project Justice." Hyo turned his eyes to him. "I came back for you."

The redhead scoffed."I don't need you."

"No." Hyo looked to the sky. "But I feel that you need to know that I was alive. You needed to know that it wasn't your fault."

"Then who is to blame?"

"You know who." Hyo got up to leave. "I am not asking you to accept this right away...but can we at least be in the same room?" He extended his hand to him. "Truce."

Kyosuke smiled. "Truce."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Most of the discussion carried on into the early morning. It was agreed that Project Justice would implode of Hyo decided to return to Justice High. In, fact the only reason why the program was accepted was mainly on the sympathy vote.

"You should go to a part of town that doesn't really know you," Shizuru suggested. "That way, you can live normally without having to hide."

Hyo nodded. "I'm not exactly well known but the farther away I am from Justice, the better."

Kyosuke's shoulders slumped. "You're leaving again..."

"For the most part." Hyo put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's sleep on it. We'll come up with a solution in the morning."

His brother forced himself to smile. "Of course, Nii-san..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note: **Kyosuke calls Hyo "Nii-san", a very formal way to say "Big brother" The Imawanos have a tendency to use stuck-up language, even when addressing each other. They are a very upper-crust bunch _...


	6. Not A Date

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and probably UDON.**

**Chapter VI: Not A Date**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Hinata came over with Natsu, Sakura, and Ayane in tow. She had also brought along sugary breakfast snacks to tide Batsu over while they talked about nothing in particular.

"...the Amusement Park sounds nice today." Natsu offered. "We haven't been there in a while and the season's almost over. I heard that the final week offers discounted admission for students."

"I hope the water park is still open!" Ayane squealed. "It's warm enough today."

"Ah, Kyosuke!" Hinata lit up at the sight of him. "I didn't know you were awake!"

"Yeah." He walked over and pulled a tumbler from the cabinet. "So what's all this about an amusement park?"

"We all wanted to do something together." Said Ran. "The Amusement Park is a good place."

"Maybe the Seijyun girls want to go!" added Ayane.

"Those girls never wanna go anywhere," muttered Bastu. "Especially that pale one who runs around in the wedding dresses."

"If she's anything like Sizune, she'd be perfectly content just practicing her music all day." Hinata giggled.

"Yurika might go." The room fell quiet. Kyosuke proceeded to pull out a pitcher and fill his glass. "If you ask her, I'm sure she will go."

"...Okay, then!" Hinata clapped her hands together. "Ran and I will get to callin' everybody!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A van pulled up into the drive way. Ran honked the horn while Iinchyo waved to them. The others ran out, piling into the automobile.

"Kyosuke-dono!" Michiko ran down the walk. The arms of her light kimono flapped about, almost giving her the illusion of flying. "Kyosuke-dono, are you going somewhere?"

"Yes." He smiled down at the woman. "To Ziggy Amusement Park."

"Here, I packed you something in case." She bashfully held up an insulated lunch box. "There's drinks and some pre-packaged snacks." She bowed. "Please enjoy yourself Kyosuke-dono."

"Thank you, Michiko-san." With his acknowledgement, she headed back up to the house. Kyosuke slipped in the car. The lunch box was placed in his lap. He gazed at it fondly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Michiko walked inside.

"Do you remember when you used to do that for us?" Hyo was standing at the window with his hands folded behind his back.

"Yes. You two would try to run off on me." She stood beside him. "It got to the point where I would make you tell me where you were going before I gave you lunch."

"Michiko-sama, I want you to know that I'm not returning to Justice. If too many people realized I was alive they would feel betrayed. They'd abandon Project Justice."

It was a half-baked truth. In reality, Hyo didn't want to return to his old life. He had seen the freedom he had. Finally, he could make his own destiny and he refused to pigeonhole himself back in the same spot he had remained in for so long. He was free from Mugen's misguided cause and he liked it.

Raizo walked up behind them. "Should you be hanging around the windows like that?"

"No one saw me." Hyo turned to leave. "No one usually does..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zaki leaned against the bathroom door. "Yurika, you've been preening for the past hour! I wanna go!"

Akira rolled her eyes. "Zakirin, you know that Yurika-chan takes forever to get ready. You need to learn patience."

"I'll patiently stomp you into the ground, Akira." She growled. The knob turned and the older woman pushed herself off of the door. Yurika exited wearing rather normal clothes. She was clad in a blue blouse, a dark skirt, and purple leggings.

Zaki's eyes pinched up into a hidden grin. "Oh, looks like somebody is expecting to meet someone today."

Yurika fidgeted, putting her hands behind her back. "I-I just wanted to look a little normal for a change. Y'know, blend in a little..."

Akira stood up. "I know what you mean." She looked down, realizing that she was still in her uniform. "Lemme go change really quick and I'll be ready to go too."

Zaki groaned. "You're just as bad at her!"

"Shaddap." Akira muttered, rummaging through her dresser. "Maybe you should take off that mask, you'll scare children."

"Good." Zaki folded her arms. "Fear is healthy for them."

The two continued their light banter while Akira changed into her fatigue-patterned tank top and ripped jeans. Zaki's attitude and status made a good match for Akira's rough upbringing. The two acted more like sisters than classmates. A pleased look came over Yurika's face.

"I have good friends." She thought.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Due to the discount fare, Ziggy Amusment Park was filled with students. The three girls had to practically swim through the crowd to get to a free area.

Yurika looked up. Much to her surprise, there stood Kyosuke, surrounded by Taiyo students. She froze. Zaki ended up tripping over herself and bumped into Yurika.

"What the hell?" She snapped. "Yurika?"

Yurika slunk past the two girls, attempting to shrink in the crowd.

Akira quickly grew concerned. "Yurika-chan, what's the matter?"

Zaki's eyes slid from Yurika to the redhead, some distance away. Her concern melted and once again, her eyes were crinkled up into that knowing smile, hidden behind her mask.

"So you were expecting someone." She jeered. "He sure is a looker, isn't he? He's all distinguished, just like you."

Yurika crossed her arms. "We barely know each other."

"Ah, Yurika-san!" Kyosuke waved to her. Yurika's uneasiness increased when he and his friends drew closer. Zaki was enjoying this way too much. "So, we meet again."

"Again?!" Akira exclaimed. Suddenly, Yurika was on the spot.

Zaki peered into her face. "Are you wearing lipstick?"

"No." Yurika sucked in her lips to hide them. She winced at the waxy flavor. Everyone turned their attention to Kyosuke.

"Um, so..." Kyosuke tugged on his earlobe in response to the tension. "...what brings you here...?"

Yurika's eyes darted to the side, searching for an answer. Just then, the P.A. Blared with campy carnival music.

"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! OUR SEA-FRIEND EXTRAVAGANZA WILL BE STARTING IN FIFTEEN MINUTES! COME SEE DOLPHINS, SEALS, AND KILLER WHALES! DON'T BE CAUGHT HIGH DRY COZ IT'S SURE TO MAKE A SPLASH!"

Yurika grinned. "We've come to see the dolphin show!"

"We did?--" Akira received a sharp but discreet elbow to the ribs from Yurika, correcting her. "Yeah, I, uh, love dolphins and shit."

"We should all go!" added Hinata.

Making their way to the auditorium, Akira turned around and gave Yurika a swift punch to the gut. The girl hugged her stomach, doubling over in pain.

"...Why...?" She growled.

"Payback." Akira shrugged. "A simple poke could have done fine."

"Alright." Zaki rubbed Yurika's back. "C'mon, pick yourself up. Don't wanna keep Kyosuke waiting."

Yurika whimpered. Coming to a stand, she lumbered after them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika had her violin case between her knees. All the seats had been taken except for the last two rows. The sudden influx of people separated her from Akira and Zaki and she found herself alone.

Kyosuke sat down behind her. "So you got pulled away from everyone too?"

"Yeah," Yurika averted her eyes.

"Do you take that thing with you everywhere?" He asked.

Yurika nodded. "It's kind of my security blanket...and insurance. You can never be too careful."

The show began with a couple of seals playing "Sukiyaki" on an arranged set of horns. Though the song sounded a little simple and stiff, it was still decent. The people applauded, even Yurika, and the seals got a fish as their reward. Next, came the dolphins. They jumped through hoops and a girl stood on the tip of one of their noses. A couple of them jumped up and clapped. Finally, the killer whale came out.

"I think you should move." Kyosuke suggested.

"Why?" Yurika turned around. He was already gone. Just then, a wave of water crashed over her. Drenched, Yurika sat there in horror. Ashamed, she got up and ran out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika wasn't sure how far she had ran but the fact that she was in the woods showed that she was far from the park. The sky was growing dark, the stars coming to life.

"Yurika!" Kyosuke was running up to her. Had he been following her this whole time? He stopped short and doubled over, breathing hard. "Sorry...running isn't my forte..."

She clenched the handle of her case. "It's alright."

He looked down at the instrument. "Is your violin okay?"

"Yes." She held it up, inspecting it. "The casing is airtight and waterproof."

He stood up. "Good."

Kyosuke realized that he had been staring at her for an uncomfortably long time. Her shirt was partially transparent from the water. He could see that she wore a lacy, lavender bra today. Warmth crept up his cheeks. Kyosuke immediately turned away from the girl in an attempt to keep from staring at her too long. Yurika could sense that he was looking at something that he shouldn't have seen and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Lucky your hair didn't get wet." Kyosuke put a hand on her head in a playful gesture. "It looks cute."

"Thanks." She fought off the urge to shiver. "It takes a couple of hours to set..."

"Um," Kyosuke pulled off his jacket and offered it to her. "Don't want you to catch a cold."

"I'm fine." Yurika hugged herself tighter.

Kyosuke put his arms around the girl and draped his jacked over her shoulders.

"You should really learn how to accept things." He chided.

"Now, let's see about getting outta here." He scratched the back of his head. "I think I can see the lights."

Yurika nodded while slipping her arms through the sleeves of the jacket. It was so long that it came down past her hands but she appreciated the warmth it provided. She pulled the jacket closer around her.

"If we end up catching a show, we should try to sit in the back." She suggested.

"Good idea." He made an about-face. "Um, are you having fun with me?"

"Of course." Yurika spit out the words, startled by his abruptness.

A glint of metal caught Kyosuke's eye. He flung Yurika to the ground and attempted to block. The blade landed in his shoulder, sinking into the flesh. The redhead cried out and held his arm, stumbling back. Yurika scooped up her violin without any word. She pulled the bow down with a sharp motion. The attacker stumbled out of the woods with his hands pressed to his head. His body contorted in agony before he flopped to the ground. She immediately recognized what he was.

"An assassin...?" She breathed.

"Behind you!" Kyosuke barked.

Yurika spun around, bringing her bow up to block. The projectile connected with the reinforced wood and bounced out of the air. The second assassin charged full steam at her, brandishing a large sword. The man stabbed the blade at her. She quickly ducked down underneath the weapon and rose up, jabbing her elbow into the bottom of his chin. Blood and teeth flew into the air. The assassin reeled back in pain. Kyosuke came in from the side, finishing the assailant off with a vicious roundhouse kick.

"Bastard." He spat.

"You're hurt." Yurika ran up to him. The shuriken was lodged in the meat of his arm. Yurika raised her hand to touch it.

"Don't!" Kyosuke flinched.

"I wasn't going to do anything but get a good look at it." Yurika was eerily calm. "Let me see."

Hesitantly, Kyosuke shifted to give her full view of his injury. She studied it for a moment. She then grabbed it and pulled it out with a quick motion.

"What the hell?!" Kyosuke pressed his other hand over the wound. "You made it worse...You..."

His knees gave out and he fell to the ground. He could feel blood seeping out from between his fingers. Yurika dropped to her knees and placed a hand over his shoulder.

"As I thought," She watched the bloodied shuriken on the ground. "...Poison..."

"Yurika..." The man's vision began to fail. Everything morphed into indistinct shadows. He could hear more voices. All his nerves prickled with a sensation akin to being dunked in ice-water. Everything had spun into darkness. Within a few moments, all that remained was silence.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note: **Another term of endearment for friends and family is adding "rin" or "tan" to names. For example, Akira calls Zaki "Zakirin", a cute and almost demeaning nickname.


	7. In The Shadows

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and possibly UDON studios.**

**Chapter VII: In The Shadows**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The street were fogged in an unfamiliar haze. Kurow found himself holding on to walls, struggling to make it to a place he didn't know. Asking for help was out of the question. As a traitor, he knew that he didn't have the luxury of trusting anyone...

...Except Yurika.

Rage boiled up in him. He remembered how that stupid woman always lingered at his side. Just because they were siblings didn't give her the right to be clingy. His eyes grew hot. He clenched his lids shut to fight off tears. He refused to cry. No matter how much pain he was in, he wouldn't shed any tears. The bubbly chatter of a couple alerted him. He sunk into the shadows, hiding while they passed. Once he was sure they were gone, he stumbled out and continued on in the opposite direction.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why do exams have to be so damn long?" Edge griped. "I feel like they're discriminating against us 'coz were from Gedo. If we were one of them Gorin brats, they prolly would have cut the damn thing in half. Things always twist in the favor of those jocks!"

Gan reached into his bag. "I just figure that exams suck, no matter how long or short."

He pulled out a large pre-wrapped sandwich.

Edge eyed in hungrily. "Hey lemme have some of that!"

Gan held his sandwich over his head, protectively. "No, get your own!"

Edge jumped, taking swipes at it. "Don't make me take out my knives!"

"What going on here?" Daigo bellowed. "You two getting crabby again?"

Gan looked away. Edge took advantage of his distraction and grabbed the sandwich, devouring it. Daigo smacked the back of the blond's head.

"Men don't steal from their comrades!" He chided.

"I'll give it back when I'm done!" Edge whined. "Right, Gan?"

Gan ignored them, keeping his attention on the dark, narrow alley beside them.

Daigo became more alert. "Gan, what's wrong?"

"There's someone in there." He slipped his bookbag over his shoulder. "They look hurt..."

Daigo walked up and peered into the alley. A swipe of energy sliced through the air. Daigo raised up his arm, blocking the attack. He jumped back, the others getting ready to battle the attacker.

Kurow emerged from the shadows, bandaged and clad in dirty scrubs. "Well, well, if it isn't the Gedo Boss. Shame I don't have my flute..."

"I'm gonna carve you like a pumpkin!" Edge threatened. Daigo held him back.

Kurow sneered. "What's wrong, too afraid to attack me."

He stood up on one leg and crooked his finger, beckoning them.

"No one's gonna attack you." Daigo's tone was surprisingly gentle.

Kurow stood there for a moment, then collapsed where he stood. He struggled to get up but it seemed that he was too weak to do even that. Blood began to seep through his clothes. He could hear them coming closer. They would do good to finish him off just like those people in the dark. He rolled over on his back. His vision doubled, making everything look psychedelic. Humanoid demons leaned over him, their speech garbled.

"D...don't come near me." He rasped.

He could feel someone helping him up. He resisted at much as he could, grounding himself so that he wouldn't move. He then felt himself being picked up. As soon as he started moving he blacked out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke awoke in a bright, confined room. The drab white walls and the scent of disinfectant made him aware that he was in the hospital. He tried to sit up. A spike of pain shot through him, stemming from his right shoulder. He looked over to see that his wound was bandaged with gauze and tape. His jacket was draped on the chair beside him.

"You're alright." Yurika appeared at the door. "Thank goodness."

"Yurika..." Kyosuke struggled to remember through the haze of earlier events. "Did you stay with me the whole time?"

She nodded. "It was my fault you got hit. I should have paid more attention."

"What about you?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She leaned over, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Don't worry about me, Kyosuke-san."

Kyosuke's face reddened a little.

"Get away from him!" Raizo stormed in.

Yurika quickly made distance between her and Kyosuke. The man got in front of her, blocking her off from Kyosuke.

"I should have known that you had something to do with this!" He growled. "You Kirishima are the lowest of the low! Didn't you think you did enough damage?!"

Kyosuke grabbed his uncle's sleeve. "Hey, why are you being so mean to Yurika? Yurika didn't do anything wrong!"

"Nothing wrong?!" He exclaimed. "Have you forgotten what they did to your brother?!"

At a loss for words, Kyosuke fell silent. Yurika watched them with growing horror. She thought she had been forgiven for her past actions. The fact that Raizo was so angry proved otherwise. Distraught, she couldn't take anymore and fled.

"Yurika!" Kyosuke screamed after her. "Yurika!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The doctors ran a few minor tests to make sure that the poison was out of his system. Raizo provided the explanation that Kyosuke had been doing a project on the ninjas of feudal japan and he injured himself in the process. With no more questions to be answered, he was released. Kyosuke and Raizo headed home.

"It's a good thing you got to the hospital quickly." Raizo gave a nervous laugh. "You would have only gotten sicker if things were left to be."

Kyosuke turned away from him, looking out the window.

The man frowned. "So you're just gonna ignore me, huh?"

For nearly half an hour, nothing was said.

"Yurika helped me, you know." Kyosuke muttered. "If she didn't pull it out, more poison would have gotten into me. Why were you so mean to her?"

He shrugged. "How was I supposed to know if she was innocent or not?"

"You could have asked her!" He snapped.

The man stared at the road for a moment. "...Crap."

The rest of the ride was in silence.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Raizo pulled up to the driveway. Kyosuke hopped out. Much to his surprise, Raizo stayed in the car.

Kyosuke frowned. "Aren't you getting out?"

Raizo blinked. "We decided to move back into our house since you were feeling better. Figured you liked your privacy. I left a message on your phone earlier."

Kyosuke fished his phone out and sure enough there was a message in his voice box.

"I guess I just assumed you listened to this before all of this mess happened." He scratched the back of his head. "I'm...I'm sorry, Kyosuke. I was scared that I had lost you. I'm not even sure about Hyo and I guess I lost my head..."

"I understand." Kyosuke was agreeable. "I think you should apologize to Yurika. She's suffered just as much."

"You have my word that I will." Raizo assured him. "I'll be back to check on you tomorrow, alright."

Kyosuke smiled. "Fine."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Akira walked in from her afternoon jog. Zaki stood in front of the window with her hands folded behind her back, looking out with heavy concentration.

"She hasn't come back from the hospital." The woman stated.

Akira wiped the sweat off her face. "Really?"

"Yeah." She folded her arms around her middle.

Akira walked up and stood beside her. "Should we call someone?"

The telephone's ring cut Zaki off before she could answer. Akira picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Her voice was unsure. The girl's rarely got calls to their dorms.

"Um, hi..." The voice on the other side was unsure. "Is this Kirishima Yurika's room?"

Akira grew defensive. "Who's speaking?"

"This is Kagami Kyosuke. I just wanted to know if Yurika returned okay?"

"Yurika hasn't returned yet." Akira and Zaki exchanged worried glances. "I'll tell her to call you when she does, okay?"

"Alright. Thank you very much." He promptly hung up, as did Akira. The woman headed for the door.

"I'm coming with you." Zaki followed her. "Leaving campus grounds this late is a bitch if you don't know how to sneak out."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Yamato river looked this nice at sunset. Yurika sat on the edge with her knees brought up to her chest. She picked up a rock. After examining it, she hurled it at the water. Rather than skipping, the rock plopped into the water. Yurika slumped down in disappointment. Kurow was good at skipping rocks. When they were little, he tried to teach her but grew impatient when she just couldn't get it.

"Kurow..." Her eyes grew tearful.

Suddenly, a rock flew past her. It skipped the surface four times before disappearing under the water. She turned around to see Raizo.

He gave a sheepish smile. "The trick is to keep your wrist loose."

Her eyes drifted to the ground. "...I see."

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." Raizo slipped his hands in his pockets. "I got scared and my behavior was atrocious. I'll try to be more civil in the future."

"That's quite alright." The apology was surprising but Yurika found herself feeling better.

Raizo looked past her. "Ah, your roommates found you."

Yurika turned around. Akira and Zaki were running up to her. The woman got to her feet.

Zaki eyed Raizo with suspicion. "You okay?"

Yurika dusted herself off. "I'm great. I was just wanting some time alone."

"We were worried." Akira explained. "You stayed out past curfew..."

Yurika's eyes widened. "I did!"

"I can escort you back to Seijyuun." Raizo offered. "I have some business to attend to and I have enough pull for them to validate your departure."

"That works." said Akira. Zaki reluctantly agreed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika sat at the mirror, brushing her hair. Akira chewed gum while reading a magazine and Zaki was actually studying for a change.

"You know, we have been worried about you." Zaki looked up from her textbook. "Since that stunt in the park, I guess we've been scared that something would happen if you broke away from us."

"I'm sorry." Yurika swiveled around to face her. "I guess I'm having trouble adjusting to things."

"Call Kyosuke." Akira ordered. "He was worried enough to call here."

Yurika looked at her roommates with disbelief.

"It's true." Zaki nodded. "He must've been worried about you. His number's on the table."

Reluctantly, she dialed the number. It had been a long time since she called anyone, let alone a guy. She sat on the line, listening to the ring. In the middle of the third ring, the line picked up.

"Hello?" Yurika was silent. She turned to Akira and Zaki, who watched her with growing interest.

"Say something!" Akira hissed.

"I-I'm sorry for bothering you Kag—Kyosuke-san," This was inexplicably difficult. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Of course not." It sounded like Kyosuke was smiling. "I'm glad you called. I was getting worried after that whole mess in the hospital."

"Imawano-sensei apologized!" She blurted out. "H-he even helped us get back on campus without trouble!"

"That's good to hear." He sighed. "My uncle means well but sometimes his emotions get the best of him."

"I see. W-well, I don't want to be keeping you. Good night, Kyosuke."

"Goodnight, Yurika." The line disconnected. Yurika hung up with a relaxed sigh. She glanced over her shoulder to see both Akira and Zaki grinning.

"Aww, that was cute!" Akira cooed. "You were all nervous!"

"I just didn't want to interrupt anything he was doing!" She was trying to fight the warmth creeping up in her face but it seemed the more that she tried to suppress it, the stronger it felt.

"Heh, she's blushing." Zaki pointed out. "You two would make a nice couple. You're both pretty wound-up!"

"I'm not wound up!" She retorted.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke flipped through TV stations with disinterest. He never cared for television but found it made great white noise. A sense of calm washed over him. He felt like his life was returning to normal. His house wasn't full of people, he wasn't bedridden, and Hyo...That aspect was a little too confusing. He would face him in due time and get answers.

The only thing that seemed a little off was Yurika. He found himself thinking about her more often than he realized. She wasn't terrible. She was actually quite nice, talented, polite—for the most part, and...His thoughts drifted back to earlier when he saw through her shirt. He couldn't help but grin. That wasn't too bad of a view. Her breasts were bigger than he thought but they weren't obnoxiously huge.

He turned off the TV in an effort to silence his licentious thoughts. He raked his fingers through his hair and looked around. The house was spotless. Not a single thing was out of place. The relaxing cleanliness served to remind him that he was by himself.

He pushed himself off the couch to get some instant ramen. "I better get into the swing of things."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note: **I know the pace is a little slow but I promise that it will pick up at lot more in a bit! I really hope you're enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I also hope that I'm staying in character. Rival Schools is a pretty good game...it's a shame the comic got dropped. Then again, the art was pretty craptacular. _


	8. A Nice Night Out

**DISCLAIMER:Rival Schools/Project Justice & it's characters are owned by CAPCOM and possibly UDON studios.**

**Chapter VIII: A Nice Night Out**

Kyosuke had committed himself to some heavy reading. Picking out one of the many literature books stored in the closet, he sat down at the kitchen table and began to read. After an hour of reading, he felt drained. He struggled to focus on the page, fighting the urge to nod off right there.

Hyo walked in and got some water. He was about to walk out when his brother's struggle to keep awake caught his eye. He remained at the entrance, watching him for a few moments. The redhead succumbed to the urge to sleep and his head dropped between his shoulders. Hyo loudly cleared his throat, waking him.

"You should really get out." He suggested. "It would do you some good."

Kyosuke grew confused. The suggestion came out of nowhere. Then again, he was rather bored...

"Well," Hyo added. "If it were me, I would probably go out just to get a change of setting...but I can't _exactly _go outside considering the circumstances."

"So you're planning to live vicariously through me, nii-san?" Kyosuke teased.

"For now." Hyo crossed his arms. "So stop moping and go somewhere already."

"By myself?" Kyosuke rolled his eyes. "Seriously."

A though popped into his head. He could ask Yurika to go somewhere with him. Just the two of them...

Hyo read his expression. "So you've got an idea in that fluffy little head, eh?"

"Sort of." Kyosuke left the room. Maybe Yurika was free today...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Akira and Zaki had early classes today while Yurika's didn't start until the afternoon. She took the opportunity to be lazy and unproductive. She slept late and then woke up to read on of those women's magazines that Akira flipped through from time to time.

The phone rang. Yurika groaned, forcing herself up from the bed. The phone kept ringing.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She muttered. She picked up the phone and yawned a sleepy "Hello?"

"Did I wake you?" Kyosuke's voice snapped her out of her sleepy haze.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to yawn!" Yurika was mortified. "I just slept a little late!"

"It's alright." Kyosuke sounded like he was in good spirits. "I was wondering if you would like to meet up with me later today, after classes and all."

"I'll think about it." Yurika was all for it. For some reason, she didn't want to sound too eager. "Where would you like to meet?"

"Well the fountain where we first met would be nice." Kyosuke offered.

"Alright then. I'll meet you there." She smiled. "I have to go now. Have a good day, Kyosuke."

"You too, Yurika."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yurika joined the other girls for lunch. A smile played on her lips while she hummed a tune from no song in particular.

"Hello!" She sang, sitting down beside them.

Zaki scoffed. "You're awfully chipper."

Yurika shrugged. "What wrong with being happy?"

Akira popped up from behind, pulling Zaki's cheeks until she made a funny face. "Maybe you should lighten up, too."

"Get off!" She batted the shorter girl away. "Next time you do that, you're gonna pull away stumps."

Akira stuck her tongue out at Zaki. The other girl promptly flipped Akira off, while shifting her attention to Yurika.

"So you wanna grab some dinner later?"

Yurika refused. "Actually, I'm meeting someone today."

Both girls looked at her with wide-eyed surprised. "Eh?!"

She looked up at the clock. "Actually, I must be going! I'll see you later."

She scooped up her book bag and violin case and hurried off.

"...Yeah..." Muttered Akira.

"...Later..." Grumbled Zaki.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke sat on the edge of the park fountain, waiting. He wore his usual black sweater with some khaki pants. At the last minute, he decided to forgo the jacket.

He had been waiting for about fifteen minutes. Why was he here? Yurika hadn't called back. When they had spoken, she didn't give any indication that she was interested. So the question remained. Occasionally, he would crane his head over to see if she was coming from either direction but he didn't see her. He began to tap his foot, nervously.

If it were anyone else, it would have been easy to remain calm—but Yurika wasn't anyone else. He remembered their first meeting. She was about to throw herself in the river and he had interrupted it. Then they fought and after that he found himself defending her.

Raking a hand through his hair, he gave a frustrated groan. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Kyosuke-san?"

Kyosuke snapped out of his thoughts to see Yurika standing before him. He didn't even hear her approach. He had heard that Kirishima ninjas were good at sneaking up on people. Yurika wouldn't be an exception. The woman was clad in a light blue sun-dress with a pink, button up sweater. She seemed to have an affinity for light blue.

He cracked a smile. "I almost thought you wouldn't show."

Yurika shrugged. "I had some free time so I got permission to leave the campus."

Kyosuke stood up and dusted off his pants. "I was thinking we could go back to the amusement park..."

Yurika agreed, so the two headed there. They were both quiet during the walk. Neither of them were very good at conversation. Finally, Yurika spoke.

"So what made you ask me out?"

Kyosuke shrugged. "I guess I just like your company. You seem to understand me a lot more than most of the people I know."

"I'm just surprised that you like me at all..." Yurika looked down at her feet. "...after what happened to Hyo-san..."

"...About my brother..." He pinched his brow to brace for the slight headache. It would be too difficult to explain his return. In fact, he wasn't even sure if he quite understood it himself.

He looked up into Yurika's nervous face."...Never mind. Would you like to ride the ferris wheel? It's pretty low-impact so I'm sure that I can handle it."

Yurika merely nodded.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke stepped into the car. It has stopped a little high off the ground so he offered his hands out to pull Yurika up. The girl pulled on him, using the bottom of the car to hoist herself up. Kyosuke pulled a little too hard and she ended up tripping onto him. Kyosuke grunted, feeling the cold steel his his side. Pain shot up to his old wound.

"Are you alright?" Yurika tried to help him up but only held on to him for fear that she'd end up applying pressure to some place painful.

"I'm fine." He gave a feeble grin. "I just hit something."

She pulled the door shut, while he sat upright. After a few moments, the ferris wheel kicked into motion.

The sun dipped behind the hills. The sky was streaked with the oranges and purples of sunset. Even with the rumble of the roller-coasters and the squeals of patrons, it was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, the wheel gave a miserable groan. It slowed to a halt. The two looked around, baffled.

"What happened?" Yurika grew anxious.

"It seems that we've stopped." Kyosuke peered over the edge. "I think something happened with the power."

Yurika made a worried groan. She looked down at her fidgeting legs. They were pretty high up, nearly at the top. There was no way that they could get down on their own. Kyosuke watched her. He was worried too but did his best to hide it.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Kyosuke reassured her. He put his hand over hers.

"Alright then..." Yurika muttered.

A few minutes passed. They hadn't moved but the initial anxiety had eased.

"You know, it's pretty nice up here." Yurika brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "I feel like I'm safe. Nothing bad can touch me up here."

Kyosuke nodded. "I know what you mean."

The clunk of metal caused them to jump in alarm. The both gave surprised gasps, looking around frantically. The ferris wheel had kicked into motion.

"We've started moving...." Yurika voice was tinged with disappointment. She looked down at her hand to see that it was still entwined with Kyosuke's. An icy breeze blew over them. Yurika shivered and scooted closer to Kyosuke. In turn, he pulled his hand from hers and wrapped his arms around her.

For the rest of the night, they played more games but Kyosuke and Yurika steered clear of the rides. Before they knew it, the P.A was announcing that the park would be closing soon. Beaming with childish felicity, they both bolted out of the park.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They decided to stop at a restaurant to divide up their spoils. Between the two of them, they had one nearly a dozen small, stuffed animals and a large teddy bear. After a mild argument, it was agreed. Kyosuke would take the smaller plushies while Yurika got the largest one. Not only was the bear large but its fur was an obnoxious shade of copper-red. It stared back at him with sad, brown eyes.

"Bah, good riddance." He muttered. "The think looks like it's about to burst into tears."

Yurika turned the bear around to look at it. "I think it looks a little like you."

Kyosuke clicked his tongue. "Like me?!"

"Yup." She turned around the bear, gesturing it so that it seemed like it was talking. "I'm surly because I don't have my glasses."

"You brat!" He growled.

The waiter arrived with their food. Surprisingly, their banter had caused them to develop quite an appetite. Their attention shifted to their meals and they ate in silence.

Kyosuke's watch chirped a couple of feeble beeps.

"What time is it?" Yurika asked.

"Ten." He raised his wrist to turn off the alarm.

"Seriously?!" Yurika grew distressed. "I have to get back! I'm past my curfew!"

Yurika jumped up with Kyosuke following behind her. He paid for their meal and they rushed to the train station.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The train chugged along, blurring the scenery beyond recognition. Kyosuke and Yurika had nearly missed the train, squeezing into the doors before the cars shut for good. They sat beside each other, silent. Yurika held the over-sized teddy bear in her lap.

"Um," Kyosuke licked his lips. "Do you think that you'll make it back in time?"

"No. I'll probably be a little late." She pulled the bear closer to her body. "Thank you, though."

"Sorry," Kyosuke sighed. "I should have been paying attention. I guess I was enjoying myself a little too much and--" He stopped himself at the last statement. "What I meant was...um..."

Yurika turned to him with a smile. "I had a good time tonight."

Kyosuke smiled back. "So did I. It would be nice to meet up with you again. Maybe you could bring your violin and we could play something together."

"Of course!" Yurika concurred. "I would really like that."

The train screeched to a halt. They stepped out and walked to the dock. The ferryman slouched against his seat. He stirred upon hearing the approaching footsteps.

"Sorry." Yurika apologized. He merely responded with a nod and started up the boat.

"Well, I suppose this is where we part." Kyosuke shrugged. "I suppose I'll let you go."

Yurika walked up to him. "Thank you, Kyosuke."

She stood on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on his lips. Kyosuke stood there, motionless. Yurika frowned.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh...no. No, no!" Kyosuke laughed nervously, backing away. "I just, uh.." He nearly tripped over his own feet. He forced his composure back.

"Sorry," He blushed. "Good night, Yurika."

The girl hurried on to the ferry and the two parted ways. Kyosuke watched as the ferry plodded away. He brought his hands up, letting his finger graze his lips.

"...Yurika..." He whispered. "You're welcome."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	9. Sudden Appearances

**DISCLAIMER: I'm making no monies off of this. It's purely for whatever. Rival Schools/Project Justice is owned by CAPCOM & UDON studios.**

**Chapter IX: Sudden Appearances**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sun shone bright in the cloudless sky. Most of the girls of Seijyuun engaged in lively chatter while they headed to their classes. Akira and Zaki walked together, saying nothing as they made their way to Horticulture.

Zaki cracked her neck. "You're all quiet."

"I'm not a morning person." The girl struggled to suppress a yawn. "I hate getting up so early for a useless class!"

"You need to go to bed at a decent hour!" Zaki chided Akira, who was rummaging through her book bag. "All you do is stay up all night reading your girly-mags—"

"--My notebook!"Akira exclaimed. She turned and ran back towards the dorms.

"You better not be late!" Zaki screamed after her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Notebook…notebook…" Akira muttered the words as if they were some sort of mantra. After some searching, she found it buried under some old newspapers she had picked up over the weekend. A creak alerted her and she jumped up and turned around. The door swung open. Surprised, she turned to face the intruder.

"Oh" After a few moments, her face eased. "It's you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zaki slouched in her desk with a leg propped up against the back of the empty chair in front of her. She glanced up at the clock. This was ridiculous. Not only was Akira late but the teacher wasn't here either.

"What kind of example is that for the students?" She mused. She caught her thoughts and grimaced. "I'm sounding like an old woman…"

After fifteen minutes, a scrawny woman with sharp purplish eyes and bleach-blond hair stumbled in. She wore an ornate grey kimono with a bright red sash tied around her waist. Zaki quirked an eyebrow at the sight…what kind of teacher would look like that?

"Good morning." She bowed. "Please forgive me for being late. I was lost."

"Your teacher, Himaya-san, left for maternity leave and I am covering for her." She picked up a piece of chalk and turned to write her name on the board. "My name is Sa—ga—wa—Mi—chi—k—"

The chalk snapped in half. The upper chunk bounced off the wall and hit the woman square in the forehead.

"Ow!" She began to rub the sore spot with the back of her other hand. Most of the class erupted into a fit of laughter. Zaki groaned and put a hand over her face. This was going to be a long morning.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Daigo chuckled and held out his arms. "Is that anyway to greet your big brother?"

Akira apologized and ran up to hug him. "You startled me!"

The man grew stern. "I would have called but I feel this is something that I need to tell you in person."

Akira flopped down on the bed. "Is…is something wrong?"

Daigo sighed and told his sister about how he and his gang found a banged up and bloodied Kurow wandering the streets a week ago.

"…He hasn't said much but he's recovering. Whoever it was, they messed him up good." He added. "Has anyone tried to attack his sister?"

"Yeah, but Kagami from Taiyo intervened." The girl folded her arms. "Do you think things will get nasty like the last time?"

"I don't know. I just decided to check on you." He got up and walked to the door. "Be careful, Akira-chan."

Akira nodded. "You too, aniki."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Despite her floundering start, the new teacher did know quite a bit about plants. Oddly enough, she spoke in extensive detail of the poisonous ones. Most of the girls displayed a passing interest at best but this only served to set off a twinge of alarm in Zaki.

"Yo, teacher." She raised her hand. "You sure do know a lot about poison."

A reflective look crossed her face for a moment before she smiled. "Oh, I do, don't I."

Her reaction only served to confuse Zaki. The woman seemed surprised that she knew as much as she did.

The bell rang. Most of the girls jumped up, hurrying out as the teacher yelled for them to bring a plant to the next class for their homework. Zaki lurked behind. She had a few questions for this teacher…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So tell me," Zaki folded her arms. "Where did you work before you came here?"

"If you must know, I was a private tutor for about seven years…then…" She trailed off. She bit her lip while her eyes grew glossy. Zaki felt her stomach twist up into an unpleasant knot. Without knowing it, she had ventured into some delicate territory.

"Never mind." She brushed it off. "I've never seen you before and you seem a little green so that's why I asked. I guess a class is a lot more intimidating than just a couple of kids, huh?"

"It is." Michiko nodded. "But I can handle it."

Footsteps rushed closer. "Sorry, I'm…" Akira barged in. She paused at the door and peered into the empty classroom. "…late?"

"You little bastard!" Zaki growled. "You missed the whole damn class! Where was that notebook, up your ass?!"

A smirk grew on Akira's face. "I leave you alone and you're bonding with teachers. I shoulda known you were an apple-polisher, Zakirin!"

She shifted her attention to Michiko. "So you're the new teacher, eh?" The blond nodded. "About time! Himaya-san looked like she was gonna pop any second! I hope that we can get along uh…uh…"

"Sagawa." She stated. "Sagawa Michiko."

"I'm sorry I missed your class, Sagawa-sensei." She bowed.

Michiko chuckled. "Just don't make a habit out of it. You can get your homework assignment from Himezaki-san."

Zaki glared at Akira who merely gave a nervous laugh. The two headed out going back and forth and playfully arguing about nothing whatsoever. Michiko watched them leave, the gentle smile fading from her lips. She placed a hand on her chest, staring sadly towards the ground.

"…Mugen-sama…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The ferry plodded across the lake. Raizo stood at the dock with his hands folded behind his back. His massive form nearly took up all the space on the front boardwalk.

"Ah, there you are!" He greeted Michiko, who was stepping off the boat. The woman merely glowered at him. Raizo grinned. "Did you have a bad day at school?"

"Don't patronize me." She snapped. "Just take me home."

Michiko leaned into the door, watching the scenery pass by. She hadn't said a word to Raizo since getting off the boat.

"Don't mistake me for my brother." He grumbled. "I am nothing like Mugen."

"And you never will be." She retorted.

"You're going to listen to me now!" His voice raised in anger. "You understand! My brother is dead! You didn't bring him back and you never will—"

He realized that Michiko was softly sobbing. A wave of guilt crashed over him. The woman had been with Mugen when he died. In fact, his killer almost took her down too. Shortly afterwards, Michiko lamented the fact that she had survived. To think that she was over it…to think that he would feel so callous towards his own brother…

Mugen had good intentions but they were terribly flawed. Despite his cruel methods, the man was still his brother. He had no right to lambaste him the way he had been doing. Especially since people did mourn for him. Surely he wasn't that bad if someone—anyone—was willing to shed tears over his demise. The car slowed to a halt at a red light.

"I'm sorry." He lightly patted the woman's shoulder. "I didn't take into account how difficult this would be for you and Mugen is my older brother. I should address him with respect despite our differences."

"You're just saying that." She sniffed.

"No, I mean it." Raizo shrugged. "This is just…difficult for all of us."

"Difficult?" Michiko grew confused. Raizo said nothing more and the ride continued in silence.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At lunch, Yurika chattered on about her date with Kyosuke. Zaki's attention flitted back from her to Akira, who had remained oddly quiet.

"Akira-san?" Yurika grew worried. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing!" The girl snapped out of her haze. "I just need to re-organize my stuff so that I'll stop forgetting it."

Yurika nodded. She grinned. "He let me have the bear, y'know! It's huge! I think that I'll call it Kyo-kun!"

"Geez, one kiss and you're already married to the man," Zaki jeered. "I figured you for the clingy type."

"I'm not clingy!" She huffed. "I just thought it was a cute name!"

Zaki continued to tease the other girl about her date. Akira remained quiet. Yurika was finally recovering from all the misery she suffered last year only to have something even worse looming over her head. Worst of all, she didn't even seem aware of it. She excused herself and walked off to be alone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the courtyard, Akira paced around in circles. How could she tell Yurika that someone had attacked her brother and would possibly be gunning for her? She wondered if it was even her place to say such a thing.

"Aniki!" She growled and raked her fingers through her hair. "Aniki, you bastard!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**Author's Note:** "Aniki" is a more familiar and casual way to say big brother. It's a lax alternative to the more pretentious "nii-san".


	10. The Price of Kindness

**DISCLAIMER: I'm making no monies off of this. It's purely for whatever. Rival Schools/Project Justice is owned by CAPCOM & UDON studios.**

**Chapter 10: The Price of Kindness**

* * *

Daigo returned to the neighborhood with a heavy heart. He had given his little sister a heavy burden.

"I hope that you can forgive me, sis…" He thought. "I know you're strong enough to do what's right…"

On that thought, he wondered what the right thing would be. Surely, Kurow's sister was worried about his whereabouts. Perhaps she assumed the worst. Daigo came to the decision that if Yurika was anything like Akira, she would go searching for her brother and she would find him…if the rest of his gang didn't kill him first.

* * *

The boss entered his apartment. In the living room, Gan and Edge sat on the couch. The spiky-haired blond looked odd with an open book on his lap but Daigo had remembered his resolve to get into a good college. On the other hand, Gan had a tiny Famicom controller in his hands, failing miserably at a trivia game.

Daigo looked over at the closed bedroom door. "Has he given you trouble?"

"Haven't heard a word from him since we brought him here." Edge looked up from the pages. "You sure he's alive, boss?"

Daigo laughed softly. "Oh, he's alive alright. People like him don't die easy."

* * *

Kurow lay in the small bed. Even though he didn't like his surroundings, this was the most comfortable thing he had slept on in years. His thoughts shifted to Yurika. Hopefully, they had thought of him to be dead and considered Yurika harmless. That was asking for too much though. Kirishima ninjas were trained to terminate every trace of failure—including family. He could feel his eyes grow hot.

The door opened and golden light flooded the dark room. The young man rolled over, shielding himself from it.

Daigo pulled the door until it was nearly shut. "Are you comfortable?"

Kurow gave a harrumph. "As comfortable as a man could be who is stuck in his enemy's bedroom."

Daigo leaned against the wall and folded his arms. " Went to Seijyuun today. Someone tried to attack Yurika too. She's fine though. Apparently, Kagami from Taiyo helped her out."

"You're fucking with me." He scoffed. "Why the hell would Kagami help us after what I did to his brother?"

"Maybe he's changed." Daigo shrugged. "So why don't you be helpful and tell me who wants you dead?"

Kurow chuckled. He then threw his head back into a full blown laugh.

Daigo growled in frustration. "You little shit! I'm trying to help you!"

"You?! Help me?!" Kurow sat upright. "There was a point when I controlled you! You were my special little puppet. So tell me, what you can do, Big Boss?!" He spat the last words at the man.

Daigo winced. He knew that getting information wasn't going to be easy, especially since Kurow knew the right nerves to step on. He fought off the urge to pummel the smug kid into the ground since he ran into him that night. He wasn't one to do a man like him favors but Kurow was human after all.

"Your sister is in danger." Daigo forced himself to be calm. "You probably don't give a shit about Yurika but my sister is right there with her. I'm not taking any chances so you tell me who is after you!"

Kurow turned away from him. The final conversation between him and Yurika played over in his head. The forlorn look on her face stirred a pang of sorrow inside of him followed by the crushing sensation that he was alone—completely and utterly alone—without Yurika. It was this sensation that made him decide to comply.

Maybe the stubborn man would be useful.

"It's my uncle, Kirishima Koji." He fidgeted a little. "He had this grand plan for revenge against the Imawano clan and he doesn't take too kindly to failure."

"I see." Daigo nodded. "Rest up then. We're gonna find a way to take him down."

Kurow blinked. "…Seriously?"

Daigo smiled. "Seriously."

Kurow eyed him with suspicion. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Daigo opened the door to leave. "You know what they say, kill 'em with kindness."

He shut the door, leaving him in complete darkness.

"Heh," Kurow grinned. "Bastard.

* * *

Yurika had practice so Akira took this opportunity to tell Zaki what she had learned. She told her about her brother's sudden appearance and his somewhat cryptic warning.

"You're brother is mistaken." Zaki dismissed. "He's just gotta be."

"I wish he was." Akira tapped her foot anxiously. "But he's not the kind of man to just fly off on a hunch. He found Kurow."

The brunette's violet eyes widened with shock. "Was he…"

"Almost dead." Akira stood up and stretched. "My brother found him wandering around the neighborhood."

Zaki's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Do you think we should tell Yurika?"

Akira shook her head. "She'll run to him and those two will be sitting ducks."

The woman shrugged. "I suppose."

The both turned and looked out the window. The sun was setting over the horizon of the golden lake. Last year had been difficult for everyone, especially Yurika. It wouldn't take much to tear her down. It wouldn't be fair to just spring bad news on her...

* * *

"This is it." Hyo dropped the box down in the empty living room. He had gotten an apartment in the industrial district near Gedo. Kyosuke had agreed to help him move in but as soon as he broke a sweat he sat it out and watched his brother finish. Oddly, Hyo got the job done much faster than when they had been working together to move his belongings out of the rented van.

"Not too bad, nii-san." Kyosuke scratched the back of his head. "Not too great either."

Hyo shrugged. "It's better than living with ojii-san. I don't like being questioned."

"Then you won't like me much," Kyosuke folded his arms. "I have some questions for you."

Hyo smiled. "I don't mind answering your questions. You're not going to ask me if I'm ready to settle down."

They both sat on the floor with their backs pressed to the wall. Kyosuke had a vitamin-fortified fruit drink while Hyo had a bottle of water.

The redhead put his bottle down. "So how did you come back?"

"According to Michiko, shortly after they evacuated you from the building, she went in and retrieved me. Then she used one of the forbidden Imawano arts to revive me." He took a swig of water. "Michiko gave a chunk of her chi to me so that I my heart could start beating."

Kyosuke gave a slow nod. From what little that he knew about the technique, if the person gave up their life force it would drastically shorten their own life. The thought made him a little nauseous. He had just been reunited with Michiko and now he was close to losing her too. He didn't even realize it.

Hyo put a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be alright. Ojii-san got her a job teaching Horticulture at Seijyuun. Since she's an Uru-Kirishima, she won't give Yurika any problems."

Uru-Kirishima. She was banished from the Kirishima-ryu. Kyosuke scooped up his drink and took a hearty gulp. How much dirt did his family have? Was it even a good idea to keep seeing Yurika? He remembered the girl's smiling face and flushed a little. Even if it wasn't smart in the long run, he'd still keep meeting her.

By the time he'd snapped free of his thoughts, Hyo was already on his feet.

"It's getting late. I suppose you should get going if you wanna devote more time to studying."

Kyosuke got up as well. "I suppose you're right."

The two hugged and said goodbye. Then Kyosuke left.

* * *

Daigo and his crew parted ways. He watched them walk down the street, arguing with one another about something petty. A warm smile crossed his face. Those two were changing for the better. They looked like they would probably become decent men growing up. An odd sense of relief passed through him. He had hoped to set a good example and now, after all of this mess, he was seeing positive results. Perhaps his influence would rub off on Kurow, too.

"Nah," he thought. "That was asking for way too much."

A sudden knock came onto his door. Daigo frowned. He was sure that Edge and Gan didn't leave anything. He eased up to the door, his concern rising. Another knock came.

"Who's there?" He called. No answer came. He knew this trick. The person was trying to make him open the door. No way would he fall kid's stuff like that.

"I'm not in the mood for bullshit!" He snapped. "Tell me who you are or I will open the door and kick your smart ass!"

The voice was quiet and firm. "Imawano Hyo."

Daigo's eyes widened at the name. He regained his revolve, growing more irate. "Don't fuck with me."

"I am not." The voice was still eerily calm. "I need to speak with you."

Daigo wouldn't have tolerated this any longer but now he was itching with curiosity. He undid the latch and flung the door open, braced for whatever was behind the door. Hyo stood there with an annoyed look on his face.

"Is this how you treat all your guests?" He asked.

"You ain't a guest, Imawano." He retorted. He stood aside and gestured. "Come in..."

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry but there is a lot of story to get through so it'll be a long ride but I can promise you that there will be a lot of hot, steamy action in the chapters ahead. Also, please leave some reviews. I'd appreciate some feedback if you don't mind._


	11. A Night To Remember pt I

**DISCLAIMER: I'm making no monies off of this. It's purely for whatever. Rival Schools/Project Justice is owned by CAPCOM & UDON studios.**

**Chapter 11: A Night to Remember pt. I**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Make no mistake," Hyo walked in to the apartment. "I did die. The circumstances that revived me are…complicated."

"I'll bet." Daigo pushed the door closed. The man was dressed in casual clothes but the sword on his back made him ridiculously recognizable. "So why are you here? Shouldn't you be lying low and plotting revenge or something?"

Hyo sighed. "I am past those days. I wanted to ask if it was alright for me to live here for a while. After all the suffering I put you through, it's the least that I can do."

"Well," Daigo's eyes traveled to the bedroom where Kurow remained. "That's okay with me as long as you're not cutting down people or something."

Hyo could sense that something was troubling the man beyond his presence. He fought the urge to read his thoughts, his gaze following the other man's. Hyo frowned. He could almost guess who was behind the door.

"I think your guest is aware of me." Hyo reached back and gripped the hilt of his sword.

"C'mon," Daigo grabbed his shoulder. "Don't wreck my house."

Hyo pulled off the sheathed sword and tossed it to the man. Daigo shrugged and tossed it on the couch. He then walked up to the door and opened it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyosuke slipped into the empty gym. He needed to find Hayato, the gym teacher, and hound him for a recommendation. Hopefully he could persuade the hot-blooded teacher to give him one. After all the times that he dodged doing any work in gym class, odds were that it was a far shot.

After wandering around, he decided that Nekketsu-sensei was nowhere to be found. He headed towards the exit when a noise caught his attention. He drew closer to the orgin of the sound, which was coming from under the bleachers. He ducked down when he caught a glimpse of a couple. Frow what he could hear, he picked out the voices of his cousin and the Wakaba girl who had joined them from last year. After a few moments, the redhead gave in to his curiosity and peeked in.

He could see Batsu holding the girl, caressing her. Hinata writhed in his grip making little sounds of protest. Batsu ignored her half-hearted struggle.

"C'mon, you want it as much as I do…" He muttered.

"Alright…" She arched her back into him. "Just make it quick."

"Quick, huh." He pushed her panties aside and slipped his fingers into her. "I thought girls didn't like it quick."

"Some girls—ah—" His fingers pressed deeper into her. "Some girls…don't…"

He continued to finger her while he took his free hand and unzipped his pants. With one quick thrust, he buried himself deep into her body. Hinata bit back a cry, holding on to the support beams to keep steady. He continued to ram her hard until she started to shake and seize underneath him. Batsu swore and clenched his jaw, releasing inside of her.

Kyosuke tore out of the gym, his face red with embarrassment. He wasn't a peeping tom but the sight had surprised him so much that he stayed there as long as he did.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyoko sat at the bar, staring mournfully into her beer. She looked over at the older man fiddling with the karaoke machine. Hideo had proposed to her after the library had burned down at Justice. She had reluctantly accepted and just as soon as she was staring to look forward to married life, Hideo had to leave.

He was going to settle his turbulent family quarrel once and for all. She offered to come along but Hideo refused. He said he didn't want her to get in the middle.

"Don't want me in the middle, eh?" She muttered bitterly.

"Hey there, beautiful," Hayato slid into the stool next to her. "How's the ol' ball and chain gig workin' for ya?"

"Not so good." She shot him a forced smile. "He's gotta go settle some things and he won't take me with him."

"Aw, don't go busting his balls," Hayato downed his beer in one swig. "Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

Kyoko opened her mouth to say something when she saw the principal's massive form in the doorway. The man stepped aside, allowing a petite blond to step in.

The nurse arched an eyebrow. "Who is that?"

"I dunno." Hayato scanned over her form. "But I hope she's single."

The woman rolled her eyes. Hayato was very fond of women and he was shameless about it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Raizo introduced the new woman, who kept silent. Her eyes were red and it looked as if she had been crying. Her disinterested gaze wandered about. For a teacher, she didn't look to be in good shape from Kyoko's observation.

"Let the lady speak for herself," Hayato slurred. "Whaddya teach, cutie?"

The woman seemed alarmed that anyone had spoken to her. Finally in a quiet voice, she answered.

"Horticulture." She blushed. Kyoko sneered. So she wanted to act all innocent and girlish, huh? That act was old. Where did she get off coming in here and dressing like something out of an Ukyo-e painting.

"We're you going to a costume party or something?" The brunette jeered. "What's with the gimpy outfit?"

The woman shot her a venomous glare that took her by surprise.

"I like your yukata." Hideo complimented. "It's nice to see some women upholding the old standards once in a while."

Michiko's face lit up. "T-thank you."

Kyoko felt her stomach turn with a fit of jealousy. Hideo hadn't complimented her on anything in a while and now he was praising this new woman. On top of that, Hayato wouldn't tear his eyes away. Sure, the man was probably undressing her with his eyes but he used to keep his attention on her even though she was off-limits.

Raizo ordered around of sake as a welcoming gift for the new teacher he had brought in. Kyoko slammed back shot after shot of the warm liquid while she seethed. Eventually, the frigid blond warmed up, joking and laughing with everyone.

A tipsy Michiko performed karaoke with an equally buzzed Hayato. Most of the audience had a good vibe going and cavorted and sung along as well. After the gym teacher stumbled off, she offered for Hideo to come up and sing with her. The man agreed…and that tore it. Kyoko's rage came to a boil, watching her fiancée happily sing with someone he had just met.

At the end of the song, Kyoko stormed onto the stage and snatched the microphone out of Hideo's hand. "I think we need to be going."

Hideo blinked and then chucked. "I suppose you're right. It is getting late. See you later, Michiko-sensei."

Kyoko pulled him away, shooting a nasty look at Michiko. The blonde mirrored her disdain.

"Raizo-dono, did I do something wrong?" Michiko stepped down from the stage.

"Nah, you did well." Raizo patted her on the shoulder. "As long as ya keep friendly, she should warm up to you."

Michiko nodded. "It's just that…she looked at me the same way Namie used to…"

"We should get going." Raizo quickly grew stern. He remembered Namie and the wake of bloodshed she left behind before taking her own life. That name still made him cringe. It had been over a decade and the woman's actions still rippled across time. He looked over at Michiko curled up in the passenger's seat. A good night's sleep would purge those horrible memories…or so he would hope.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Was I good?" The question came out of nowhere. Kyosuke stared at her confused.

"When I kissed you," Yurika fidgeted. "I-I've never kissed anyone before. Was I good?"

Kyosuke smiled. "You were great."

Suddenly, she lunged forward and threw her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips hard against his and kissed him. Kyosuke froze. Confused at her unprovoked actions, he remained still.

Yurika realized that Kyosuke wasn't doing anything and pulled her face slightly from his.

"Is something wrong?" She whispered in a sweet voice tainted with worry. He could feel her warm breath wash over him, the sensation giving him chills.

"Are you okay with this?" He breathed. All this frustration, the isolation, everything bubbled up to the surface. He wanted to find release. He wanted to kiss Yurika…among other things. God, he hoped she was okay with it...

"Yes." She leaned in close enough to brush her soft lips against his in a surprisingly sensual manner.

He pulled her closer, crushing his lips against hers. She moaned, parting her lips slightly. His tongue slipped in, stroking and exploring. Soon the two were locked in a fiery kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, it felt like they had been at it for an eternity. Yurika looked up at Kyosuke, her lips pulling into a smile. The redhead leaned down to kiss her again. A gleam of metal caught both their eyes. The two pushed away from each other.

A kunai plunged into the bench. An assassin dropped down from the trees and bolted towards them with a full katana. A chain swung around the attacker's throat, throttling him. Zaki appeared at the end of it.

"It's rude to interrupt a romantic moment!" She gave the chain a harsh yank, driving the assassin on to his knees. More assassins jumped out of hiding, closing in on the three.

Akira emerged from the shadows, sending an elbow strike to the abdomen of one of the assassins and then spun around, sweeping another off of his feet with a low kick.

A blast of blue energy slammed into another of the attackers and Batsu appeared with Hinata in tow. The remaining three assassins quickly retreated. One of the fallen threw down a flash bomb which blinded everyone. By the time it had cleared, the assailants had vanished leaving everyone dazed.

Yurika stood up and joined Kyosuke's side. "W…were they all after me?" Zaki and Akira exchanged uncomfortable glances which only served to make Yurika more anxious. "I have to know!"

"We don't know!" Snapped Akira. Her outburst surprised everyone. She calmed herself down. "We don't know but I can assure you that we'll have some answers for you by the end of the night."

"Can you make sure she gets back to the dorm in one piece, red?" Zaki swung her chain around as a thinly-veiled threat.

"…Only if she feels safe with me." Kyosuke was heavy with guilt. His selfishness had almost gotten the both of them killed.

"I trust him." Yurika laced her arm with his in a show of support. "I think that they're at least deterred for now."

Yurika began to head off without a word, pulling Kyosuke away. Kyosuke felt his mouth go dry. Either they retreated or they were waiting for them to split off. If the latter happened, then at least his guilt would dissapate.

"Kagami-kun?" Yurika's voice pulled him out of his current guilt trip. He looked down forcing a smile.

"We should get going then, Yurika." He stated.

Yurika gave a quiet nod. She looked past her friends and into the darkness that surrounded their path home. These ninja had become more agressive and more bold. Something was increasing their confidence and the young woman's wandering thoughts didn't help much when alertness was such a factor.

"What do they want with me?" She wondered. A moment later, she realized that she didn't want to know...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


End file.
